May 9,2001
Portland
(Obi
Page A5
(Ttfe ^ìortlanò ffibaenwr
Health/Education
Alberta Street to Celebrate Art Saturday
The second annual Alberta
Street Art Hop is scheduled Sat­
urday, May 12, with festivities
beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting
until 5 p.m.
Area merchants will welcome
new folks as well as neighbor­
hood regulars to celebrate in the
meaning o f art, and enjoy a day
in a revitalized corridor known
for it's growing, exciting art cul­
ture.
Alberta Street merchants will
be open and displaying art in a
variety o f forms. There will be
interactive hands-on art projects,
art education, and art-related
activities happening all day.
This year, Alberta m erchants
are promoting sustainable com ­
munity enrichment by team ing
up with Vocational Village High
School and the Community C y­
cling Center for some exciting
projects and fund raising.
Vocational Village has cre­
ated figurative metal sculptures
from recycled m aterial, called
Art AGOGS.
These artworks will decorate
th e e x te rio r s to re fro n ts o f
Alberta Art District merchants.
The long-term plan is to have
hundreds o f Art AGOGS lining
Alberta Street, from MLK. to
33rd. The Com m unity Cycling
C e n te r’s c e leb rates a grand
opening o f its new location at
The weekend is
what you make o f it.
FROM
79
B
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1
Metal art is displayed by Nick Bruno, Natalie Davis and Liz Finjietd of Vocational Village to bring attention to
Saturday's Alberta Street Art Hop. The school is donating ¡0 o f the sculptures to personify the a re a ’s community
spirit and urban arts culture. The long-term plan is to have hundreds o f the so-called art AGOGs lining the
street.
1700 N.E. Alberta St. Sched­
uled events include a juice ride,
live music and outdoor activi­
ties. Donated funds will go to­
wards the cycling center’s pro­
grams for low-income minority
youth.
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Mercury-containing Necklaces Pose Health Risk
M ercu ry -co n tain in g n e c k ­
laces from M exico that are
showing up in Oregon are a
potential health hazard, warn
public health officials. The col­
orful necklaces are often on a
beaded chain, cord or leather
strand with a glass pendant filled
with liquid m ercury, and they
may also contain brightly col­
ored liquid. They come in vari­
ous sh ap es such as h e a rts,
bottles, saber teeth and chili
pepper. The pendants are frag­
ile and can easily break, spilling
liquid mercury.
“ Vapor from spilled m ercury
is highly toxic,” says M ichael
Heumann, environmental epide­
m iologist at the state health di­
vision. “We want the public to
understand this jew elry contains
enough mercury to be danger­
ous to human health. W e’re con­
cerned because we have a l­
ready received a report o f one
Somebody Ought To Say
Something! b >- i .. k . buss
lhere are times when si­
injustices; and that every time we
turn a blind eye, a deaf ear or
lence is not golden. There
comes a time when con­
remain silent, our world changes
fronted by a moment or circum­
and not for the better.
This column was developed to
stance that “somebody ought to
say something.”
provide good people o f conscious
and character with a venue in
Whether it’s about the dropout
rate o f Portland school children,
w h ich you can e v o lv e your
“somebody ought to say some­
thoughts into words that can be
thing.”
heard, giving you an opportunity
to take a stand and speak up.
Incidents o f racial profiling,
ach o f us encounters
“somebody ought to say some­
times where “somebody
thing.” Recognizing the accom ­
ought to say so m e­
plishments and extraordinary con­
thing!”
tributions o f ordinary people,
“somebody ought to say some­
So, if you can shed light on
social injustices, share what you
thing.”
are hearing in the community, ad­
O r on a lighter and more abstract
dress impending actions that im­
note, when there is an accident on
pact your neighborhood or en­
one side o f the 1-5 freeway, why
lighten others, I want to hear from
are all lanes slow and backed up?
you.
“Somebody ought to say some­
thing.”
Contact me by mail at The Port­
land Observer, attention L.K. Bass,
Sometimes its takes hearing
P.O. Box 3137, P ortland OR
someone else’s words to provoke
97208, o r via e -m a il at
further thought o f what you may
newstoportlandobserver. com or
otherwise dismiss; or that speak­
Fax at 503-288-0015.
ing up is often the best deterrent to
T
E
Activists Give Food Stamp Program ’C’
O reg o n A ction, a grassro o ts
low -incom e o rganization, is g iv ­
ing the s ta te ’s food stam p p ro ­
gram a “ C ” grade. T he group
recently m et w ith state o fficials
in an effort to im prove the food
stam p program .
“ A d u lt and F am ily S ervices
gets an “ A ” for excellent jo b in
im proving outreach and in creas­
ing food stam p en ro llm en t,” said
O reg o n A ctio n b o ard m em b er
Rose Spears. “ But they have a lot
o f w o rk to do in su re th at all
elig ib le w orking families in O r­
egon get the food stam ps they
need,"
Oregon Action leader Samantha
W a tte n b u rg , a d d e d , “ W hen it
comes to feeding children and fami­
lies, an ‘average’ jo b isn’t good
enough."
In the meeting, AFS officials
committed to the following food
stamp policy and program changes:
To insure that every food stamp
applicant is screened for em er­
gency services upon first contact;
to have a two-page, shortened food
stamp application form in use by all
o f its offices by June 1 to enforce
a “no wrong office’ policy (appli­
cants may apply at any office); and
to post a recipient’s bill o f rights
(negotiated previously with OA
leaders) in every office without
further delay.
Copies o f Oregon A ctin’s report
are available on the web at the site
o f the N orthw est Federation o f
C o m m u n ity
O rg a n iz a tio n
(www.nwfco.org).
necklace breaking in a class­
room at a southern O regon
school.” Heumann says that if a
pendant breaks, the spilled m er­
cury vaporizes quickly at room
tem perature. When the vapors
are breathed in, m ercury enters
the bloodstream and m ay cause
headache, co ugh,chest pain or
tig h tn e ss, and d iffic u lty in
breathing. If there is a lot o f
m ercury in the air or exposure
occurs over a long period o f
School Board
Cuts $20 Million
From Budget
The Portland school board ap­
proved a budget M onday night that
cuts $20 million.
The board’s decision w ill likely
mean an end to many teacher posi­
tions. Cuts will also dig into special
education, alternative education,
English as a Second Language
(ESL) program s and the Talented
and Gifted program. No department
will go unscathed by the budget ax;
it will take a slice out o f all depart­
ments.
The vote also elim inated school
police, saving the district over $1.6
million. The city, however, decided
to pick up the tab o f funding school
police. In a letter Portland Mayor
Vera Katz said, “ I am recom m end­
ing that we pick up the functions of
the school police because you have
given us little other choice.”
The cuts come as a result o f
declining enrollment and the state’s
failure to adequately fund schools,
the school district says.
Happy
Birthday
r
time, there can be nerve, brain
and kidney damage.
“W hether at school or home,
mercury spills o f any kind should
be treated as a hazardous spill,”
Heumann says.
For disposal inform ation call
Metro or the Oregon D epart­
ment o f Environm ental Q uality
at 1-800-732-9253.
seafood at N o rth by Northwest. Go ahead, make it a weekend to
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